Pocket Watch Key
by Words of Heresy
Summary: Sent back in time to retrieve a missing relic set to be destroyed, Luna Lovegood falls in love with Sirius Black a selfish playboy. Black is entranced by her and failing to heed her warning steals the pocket watch key. M for mentions of child abuse.
1. Chapter 1

My mother used to say; "For every new discovery made by men, ten marvelous things go unnoticed". I asked my mother often why this was so; she'd simply smile a vacant look in her eyes so often present in her last days. One genteel hand would touch my shoulder and she would sigh.

"You'll see one day, you'll see when no one else will my child."

It was years later when I understood the meaning of her words. Years of ignorance from my peers, my fathers overpowering love and ridicule faced alone. Unnoticed and neglected by the society that stood firm for conventional thoughts and outlawed the thoughts of the insignificant. My mother was born into this world, to young to accept her ideas, to old to care for them, and on the 13th of May she died in it. 'Allison Jane Lovegood - accidental death' was printed in the Daily Prophet obituaries the following morning.

The funeral, a quite family gathering was held the Friday after and was full of tear streaked faces and sentimental words. People once ashamed to call my mother family now wept, and loved her passionately, but underneath forgot her. She didn't exist anymore. Just like a dream they left in a quite drift, leaving behind a table full of horrible desserts and more greeting cards then could fit in the trashcan.

The night was warm and I took the blessing for what it was; an invitation to sleep upon my mothers' grave and weep her passing. It was the last time I cried. The very next day a mask had formed and hardened from those tears, hiding the broken girl with in. The first rays of light bathed the marble head stone in melancholy shades of orange-grey that felt somehow fitting for the occasion. I read the words again. Her life's meaning submersed to the world in four short sentences.

'_Here lies the daughter of Abraham Cervicus and Casandra Zelda Appleshire. Loving wife to Xenophilius Marcus Lovegood._

_Loving mother to Luna Marie Lovegood. _

_May your soul rest in peace among the stars from whence you came.' _

It told of all she was worth and for all she would ever be remembered. My cracked, dry lips could barely hold the tired smile that stretched upon them in cynical apprehension. Silently so as not to disturb the peace I made my way into the house and started on breakfast, from that day forth her duties became mine. My father joined me a few minutes later and silent as a ghost wrapped his arms around me and hung his tall frame into my hesitant embrace. The pressure of his arms hurt my back and I knew then I have become precious to him. The most sacred reminder of his one true love; her daughter who looked exactly like her and now cooked breakfast in the mornings.

I was to be her, and my father expected nothing less of me. In a few days I already burdened with her duties found there were some obligations I couldn't follow. Being a substitute for all intents and purposes worked well in most matters but not some. My father would hear none of this and by the closing of the fortnight made a woman out of me at barely 10.

Before the following month could make his debut the Quibbler was born. Father who never wrote so much as an essay, created a paper dedicated to the paranormal. The extraordinary and the nonsensical ideas that my mother bore into our lives were forcefully thrust upon a world that couldn't handle them. I being her only prodigy became entranced in continuing her legacy as much for the sake of my father as to stop myself from resenting her for leaving me here. I wanted to remember her for what she was not what she made me.

And so I became an expert on Crumple-horned Snorkacks, Nargles and other such illusory beings that swept before me in my minds eyes as clearly as crowds swept past me on Platform 9 and ¾ . She might have left me here but with a sanctuary to call my own; and just like my mother I found solace in this other world, a wonderland of marvelous things and nonsensical beings, of flowers that spoke and birds that clouded minds. Of cows that barked like dogs and swatted away flies with fifty tails; of furry dragons and scaly mice, green antelopes with flowing mains that lit fields on fire and cotton candy colored flying panthers. This world was mine, and I surrounded by greatness unknown, truths undiscovered could be a little girl again and forget the hardships of the world, because I was free, alone and blissfully ignored in this land of wonders. I was Alice.


	2. Chapter 2

The Great Hall was once again full of chattering students. The flickering candles filled the room with light and gave the illusion that it shivered and glowed in delight at being host again to so many smiling faces. The noise level rouse and fell at random intervals as boys and girls of all ages fell into the familiar routine of speaking and being spoken too in polite intervals.

Seating quietly at the Ravenclaw table, tracing mindless patterns with the rounded edge of one fingernail, I allowed the noise to lull me into blissful dullness. A dramatic fall in volume broke through the fog, and I looked up to see the cause of the disturbance. A fresh looking Harry Potter had entered the hall with his friends tailing behind him, holding hands. So that's how it was. I smiled and looked away, Harry Potter was a third wheel; an unimportant party whose presence was meddlesome rather then sought fore. How tragic.

With out looking up, I continued to finger the smooth surface of the table. Memorizing every imperfection in the wood, I let my thoughts once again drift to the Golden Trio. Fascinating how each year Harry Potter always managed to look perfect upon arrival and left more shattered and broken then the year before. Last time he even convinced her to join him in battle, as if her life wasn't fractured enough as it were. The incident at the ministry was an onslaught of luck; it deserved no lesser title, after they had _all_ made it back alive. How it was justified never made much sense to her. A Sirius Black, godfather to the boy who lived and until that night a felon she only new through the Daily Prophet was apparently the reason for it all. Black and a prophecy was evidently what vindicated a bunch of underage students with but a few mastered defense spells on the tip of their wands to rush into battle against a dozen or so highly skilled Death Eaters. Pointless as it all was, a dead godfather and a fake prophesy later we all ended up in the hospital wing cleverly hiding our pain with triumphant grins often found on the faces of brave fools and self-entitled heroes. I new I didn't come with them to die I came to live, and for the first time outside the tedious walls of the school and the lecherous walls of home, life was given to me.

I dented a small L in the malleable surface of the wood, my own imperfection to stand in harmony among its natural brothers. At least it should last longer then our pathetic attempt at enforcing justice. I ran my finger over the dimpled surface and smiled. _Luna Lovegood the notorious vandal at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

"Hi Luna"

I looked up; it was Potter alone and looking sheepish, hands linked behind his back, one knee bent. If he were to just start scuffing the pointed toe of his boot, he would de-age about 10 years in her eyes.

"Hi Harry"

He looked up from the marble floor and met her eyes only to shy away and look over her shoulder instead, cheeks flushing brilliantly against his pallid complexion.

"How was your summer?"

It wasn't an odd question to ask, yet some how it sounded so. Coming forth so hesitantly from his lips, as if the very answer might cause his heart to stop.

"It was lovely. Thank you for asking"

"N…No Problem"

Another pause and I knew I should prompt the conversation with something akin to 'how was yours?' but it never reached my lips before he was backing away.

"I better go I guess, the sorting is about to begin."

"Ok, see ya Harry"

He turned and almost ran to his table, a bunch of Gryffindor boys eagerly awaiting report on the events that passed and from the looks of it Harry wasn't disappointing. I had fifteen minutes to wonder upon what he could possibly be informing them of in regards to our very limited two minutes worth of conversation before the sorting started.

It was during the head masters announcements that my name unexpectedly came forth. The kind old man urged me to see him after dinner about some matter concerning the Quibbler. I wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing; the man was lying. Even so I rouse from my seat shortly after the majority of the students left the hall and tracked to the headmasters office. The password appeared on my dessert napkin, appropriately next to a bowl full of fresh strawberries.

"Cream"

I entered silently and found the man in his seat, laying on his desk both hands stretched forward and his head resting heavily on the wooden desk, spectacles askew on the bridge of his nose. He looked to all the world dead.


	3. Chapter 3

Suddenly the old man shook himself awake and rising himself to look over the edge of the table narrowed his eyes in good-natured amusement.

"Ah so you came Miss Lovegood, wonderful! Please seat, how was your summer?"

Wishing he would just get to the point Luna skeptically approached the plush, leather chair standing before the desk and took a seat on the very edge, holding herself stiffly. It was a natural reaction, after years of hiding her family secret she developed a response to all teachers inquiries, fearing that one day they might ask her the right questions.

"Very refreshing sir."

"Ah that's good, that's good." However not a trace of joy was attached in his response, in fact if anything he sounded rather sad. Luna feared to wonder why.

"I wanted to discuss with you a matter of grave importance. As you might have read if you follow the Daily Prophet our efforts to defeat Voldemort are dwindling fast. He growth in strength and support every day while we struggle to gather enough people to meet him in battle; so it has come to me that perhaps the secret to his end lies in the past where most have lost hope in looking. With that in mind I started to travel and over the past two month been all over the world, congregating with some of the greatest minds in the history of magic and visiting the oldest, most potent magical libraries in search of an artifact most wizards only ever thought off as legend. You see Miss Lovegood a fair while ago, when the magic was strong in England but stronger yet in France a segregated party of wizards out casted for their dwelling in the dark arts made passage to Paris where they had heard of a warlock so powerful that he could change the past and dictate the future with but a single object of his creation. The wizards name was Ortegon and he was indeed the last remaining heir of Merlin himself. By the time the group of rebels had reached his home, he had already expected them and greeted them as old friends. The wizards feared his openness for he was heard to be over 400 years old, yet naught but a young man stood at the front porch. Overpowering the warlock with ease they ordered him to give them the artifact. Ortegon having not struggled once just laughed dropped his head and fell dead on the floor. The rebels never found the magical object and left empty handed. Some believe the object was destroyed before their arrival others argue it was too powerful to be destroyed. I myself have wondered upon it many a sleepless night as a young boy, dreaming of owning an object so powerful that could let me master my life and the life of those around me. Now it appears I have finally managed to narrow down the possible location of this object, and it is no where other then our own Forbidden forest."

Luna having patiently listened through the whole story in silence now spoke with barely restrained interest.

"So have you looked for it?"

"Ah alas my dear girl the man who last saw the object died a few year ago at the hand of Lord Voldemort non-the-less, however there is no indication that Voldemort ever knew the knowledge he possessed. If he had, he would have undoubtedly used the artifact to win the war already."

"So why don't you go back in time and ask him Professor?"

Dumbledore turned and with a heavy sigh laid his hand in front of her, so she could see the charred flesh of his withered arm and the glowing ring that accompanied it.

"I am dying Miss Lovegood, if I was to leave I would never return with the artifact. No the person I wish to send after it is you."

"Me? But why me Professor, shouldn't Harry Potter be the one to go?"

"Yes Harry would be more appropriate being the prophecy child, but I need him here to help me hunt for other means to destroy Voldemort should this plan fail. No I'm sending you Luna because I know what its like to be trapped in a matchbox of a world, with every moment leaving you breathless. It is in your eyes, the pain you carry, I have noticed it a fair while ago but unfortunately couldn't see a way to help you."

Shocked Luna remained silent, averting her eyes to the floor.

"I will not force you to go, I simply what you to consider it as an option, a means of escape if only temporary. I know your home life has left you yearning to feel alive, this would undoubtedly prove to be just that kind of opportunity," he smiled gently.

"Please think on it, I do not mind waiting a couple of weeks, but be sure to let me know before I start making other arrangements."

Taking the words as a final dismissal she nodded once and rouse from her seat heading toward the door. He thought she needed time to think but inside she knew this was her way out and she will take it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hogsmeade 1977 (6:55 a.m.)_

It was raining. The water sketching her vision being the first thing she took note of. Behind her a commotion broke through the silent stillness with a bang. A well-rounded man with a potbelly to match his swollen head and bulging torso, stumbled drunkenly from the 'Three Broomsticks', walking backwards as he screamed his final good byes in a low bass, jovial voice. Luna watched him stumble on a cobble stone and fall flat on his rump, an undignified yelp breaking free from him in surprise followed closely by the self-amused chuckling of a drunken fool. Suppressing a smile, she rounded a corner from behind Honeyduke's and made her way briskly towards the castle.

On the walk up the long stretch of road she fingered the letter constantly, afraid her fear would overcome her as soon as she comes face-to-face with a younger version of Albus Dumbledore. What would he think about all this? How will he react? It's not like he wasn't aware of Voldemort's growing support. Most likely he'll just 'twinkle' at her and send her on her way to the Ravenclaw dormitories. Just another _'exchange student from Beauxbatons Ladies Academy of Magic. I hope you all make her feel very welcome, as she will be joining the Ravenclaws' for the remainder of her studies.'_ Yes that certainly sounded like something he might say. Before she left Dumbledore told her, _'enough people are dying my dear. Children left orphaned and couples widowed every day, most day too many to count. I feel you will have no trouble fitting in unnoticed among such chaos, however unfortunate it is.' _Of course she couldn't agree more. Going unnoticed had been the practice of her life, though she seldom excelled in it. Now facing a crucial test to her adaptability among parents of her friends and enemies, she felt severely unprepared.

At least she thinks as she squeezes her way through the front gates, using a charm Dumbledore gave her to disarm the wards, her parents had graduated the year previously. That's one awkward encounter averted. Luna was certain that had she been forced to face her mother again she would do something drastic, perhaps even something unforgiveable. _'Bad things happened to witches and wizards who play with time Miss Lovegood'_. She shuddered at the memory of the foreboding tone in the kindly professors voice. _'When there you must promise to never attach yourself more then necessary to any one person. Allow their memories of you to fade in passing. Do not let emotions get the best of your judgment.' _She had nodded attentively at this warning, but inside rolled her eyes in agitation. Her getting attached to anyone was a foreign concept to start with. She was a recluse for one reason; because she simply wanted to be. In her solidarity she felt at peace, protected and positive. Why would he think otherwise? Didn't he pick her for this task, precisely because she was the least likely to succumb to an emotionally motivated error in judgment?

Approaching the stone steps, she is somewhat surprised at the sight of a lone figure standing beside the grand entrance archway. Growing in detail with every step she took, Luna thought the man looked distinctly familiar. Like an object that's been described so often to ones imagination that it almost comes alive in the minds eye, only to be challenged somewhat by its appearance in real life. The man's eye came last into focus, pale ice twinkling merrily in the morning sun.

"Charming morning is it not?" asked Dumbledore with cheerful benevolence.


	5. Important

Hi my lovelies

Just a quick note to let you know I'm putting up this story and a few others (full list on my profile) for adoption. If it doesn't get a home by the 9/10/13 it will get binned. Sorry my darlings but I decided that if I haven't updated them in over a year, I doubt I will ever do so. My passion's gone now that the muse died for these stories, but they still want a gentle hand to guide them on

All my love

XxX

WOH


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